The best cities for quality of living

Vienna has emerged as the city with the highest quality of living in a ranking that looks at everything from political stability, social and economic environments, housing and public transportation. According to Mercer’sAnnual Quality of Living report, the Austrian capital boasts the best living conditions in the world for expats. Vienna outranked 223 cities, and is followed by Zurich, Auckland, Munich and Vancouver.

The survey will help multinational companies come up with fair compensation grids for employees who are placed on international assignments. Given that Europe enjoys a high overall quality of living, be it health care services, recreational facilities or levels of crime, it’s no surprise that European cities dominate the list.

The report provides a regional breakdown. In North America, Canadian cities dominate the top 5 list with Vancouver leading the charge, followed by Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal. The lone American representative is San Francisco. A similar phenomenon is seen in Asia, with Japanese cities Tokyo, Kobe, Yokohama and Osaka occupying four of the five top spots. The highest-ranked Asian city, meanwhile, is Singapore, which ranked 25th globally.

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